Patterns and trends in UK higher education 2018

​​Patterns and trends, published annually by Universities UK, presents a comprehensive range of data and analysis on the changing size and shape of UK higher education.

The report analyses the last 10 years in higher education, focusing on applications, student demographics and graduate outcomes; staff backgrounds and expertise; and the income and expenditure of higher education institutions.

Main findings include:

Demand for university places from 18-year-olds has increased, with those from less advantaged backgrounds 49% more likely to apply than a decade ago.

More than 400,000 international students came to study in the UK, which is 19% of all students.

In 2017, the average salary for graduates in the UK was £33,000, compared to £23,000 for non-graduates.

Only 2.8% of graduates were unemployed in 2017, compared to 5.3% of those without a degree.

International staff made up 20% of all university staff and 30% of all academic staff in 2017, and are critical for some subjects such as engineering where they make up 43%.

The total income of UK universities was £35.7 billion, only half of which came from tuition fees.

View the data, figures and tables used in​ Patterns and trends in UK higher education 2018 as an ​Excel spreadsheet (.xls)

News

UK universities and other higher education providers are planning a range of changes to the degree classification system to tackle perceptions of grade inflation and ensure public confidence in the results students receive and the value of a degree.